Amphitheatre at Berrybank Park
Local Venue
An amazing new venue has opened 15 minutes from Kingham Cottages and is unlike anything we have seen. An Amphitheatre, carefully dug into the hill utilising the natural topography the minimal earthworks have been designed with the smallest carbon footprint possible. 
Overlooking the stunning Cotswold AONB this venue has a capacity of 500 and has been created with love. In particular, love for the organisers mother, Janet Cockell, who was a huge patron of the performing arts and is beaming down on the wold and especially the Amphitheatre at Berrybank Park.
The Amphitheatre has been designed to hold up to 500 people, on wide tiers that will accommodate picnic rugs and wriggly children as well as deckchairs with a bottle cooling in between. The tiers have ramped access so that there is no step between the carpark and your seat should you be pushing a buggy or steering a wheelchair.
Pavilion
Of course, much as we would like to believe that every summers performance will be in idyllic conditions overshadowed only by the setting sun, that’s not always how British summers work out. So, there is a beautiful indoor venue of an 18m tented pavilion with hard floor and kitchen facilities meaning that you can not only dine in style when coming for a performance but you can also host private events here. Weddings being the most obvious but hey, a smart 21st in a field miles from anyone – genius! 
What’s On
So, what’s on! What will the Amphitheatre at Berrybank Park be for? With a space this flexible the options are limitless, especially since the clever organisers have put in proper drainage, decent loos and even a sound system. We were impressed! They are opening in June with Shakespeare’s Globe on Tour bringing Julius Caesar to this peaceful, rural idyll. Let’s hope people aren’t getting enough murder/death/kill from village life. Music follows with a classical orchestra, Broadway hits and by July they have created their very own Cotswold Comedy Festival with big hitting names including Marcus Brigstocke, Jo Caulfield, Rob Deering and more. 
There is open air cinema, children’s workshops in the holidays, family friendly shows (the fabulous The Wind in the Willows by The Pantaloons), Opera Anywhere and more will follow.
Roll up, Roll up!
We think this is an exciting new initiative and will be wonderful not only for locals but for the many visitors to the Cotswolds looking for a fun and different experience. Bringing together culture, scenery, food and a family friendly atmosphere this is a showcase of the many features that have developed over the years to make the Cotswolds one of the top tourist spots in the UK. Enjoy – we will!
